


For Storage

by S_B_Crowe



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Aged Up Nico di Angelo, Aged Up Percy Jackson Character(s), Aged-Up Character(s), Aged-Up Percy Jackson, Alternate Universe - High School, Boy Love, Flashbacks, Gay Percy Jackson, Grief/Mourning, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson Friendship, Nico di Angelo Angst, Nico di Angelo Dies, One Shot, Percy Jackson Angst, Percy Jackson Needs a Hug, Snapshots, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, letting go, percico one shot, told in flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 05:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30117654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_B_Crowe/pseuds/S_B_Crowe
Summary: Percico through the ages as told through snapshots.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo & Percy Jackson, Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson & Will Solace
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	For Storage

_Percy sighed through his nose at the mess that was their- that was his room. He was moving next week, and Percy had yet to sort through the old stuff, hidden way at the back of his closet. Almost forgotten yet never to be thrown away. Percy pulled out a stack of old photos. Do people nowadays even print out pictures anymore? But hey, he's a very sentimental person. Glossy pictures just seem have more… feeling to it._

_He was idly sifted through what little pictures he had taken during high school when his breath caught in his throat. There he was, standing in the picture with a big goofy smile. One hand holding an exam paper and the other wrapped around another boy's shoulder. A soft smile made its way onto Percy's lips._

* * *

The worst kid in class. That was what everyone called him – at least, those who dared to say it out loud. His track record was against him, what with his tendency to lose focus and absolutely flunk every single test he had ever written on. Needless to say, Percy dominated the back of the classroom. Yet, against popular belief, he never actually did anything bad besides fail every class. It was simply the crappy school system that had him forced to the back of the classroom.  
After all, only those who got good results were the only ones who were worth teaching, and were of course, the only ones who will ever have a chance of succeeding.

And so it was to everyone's surprise when the new principle had scratched the system and remodelled it completely. Suddenly, the best and the worst of each class were to sit together with the rest of the class organised 'contrary motion' style. The theory was that the 'good' would rub off on the 'bad'.

Nico Di Angelo was the top in Percy's class – an angel by definition. Percy had scoffed at the mere notion that anyone would be able to put up with him, let alone be able to make him better. If anything, he was the one who was going to inevitably teach Nico all his bad habits. 

…Needless to say, he was proven wrong a few weeks later when he found himself sat in the library, cramming a week's worth of learning into his brain in hopes of... what? Impressing the top scoring boy sat next to him in class? Percy rolled his eyes and slumped in his seat, trying to seem nonchalant and indifferent to the curious eyes and gossiping students all around him.  
Still, he didn't put down the book.

It didn't take long for Nico to realise Percy had been studying with increased vigour, but they had both written it off as a rivalry. The smaller boy took up to the challenge willingly, and Percy had never before studied so hard for a simple formative assessment.

Even now, he remembers the way he had stuffed the 76% in Nico's face. And even though he got a face full of 98% in return, it was totally worth the quiet 'better luck next time' thrown his way. In fact, Percy could have sworn Nico sounded a little smug too.

At the end of that day, Percy had managed to gather up what little pride he had and asked Nico to help him study. The small boy had readily agreed and Percy couldn't be more thankful when he received a nice 83%. Nico still got better, but hey, it was a great whooping difference compared to the 27% he got last year.

He could never forget the way his mum had almost cried when she saw the results, bringing out the fancy camera saved only for special occasions, as she told the two boys to say 'cheese'.

* * *

_Percy blinked away the memory. It had been a while since he'd visited his mum, perhaps he should drop by soon._

_The exam paper itself was already lost to history. Storing the picture away into a neat little box, Percy carefully fit it into one of the empty cardboard boxes. He could feel the silence enveloping him as he reached into the back of his closet again. It didn't take long for his hands to come in contact with what appears to be a small jar. Tentatively, Percy tugged the jar out and stared at it._

_Gosh, it had been so long since he last saw this._

* * *

It had taken years for Percy to come to terms with his sexual identity and an even longer time for him to come to terms with who exactly he may have a romantic inclination towards.

Nico and Percy stayed close friends throughout all of high school – as thick as thieves. And it wasn't until many years later that Percy had finally accepted the fact that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't mind if they brought their relationship to the next level. That is, before he loses his chance to their inevitable departure as high school came to a closing.  
He had the whole thing planned. They would fold paper wishing stars and chat idly, and Percy would just- drop the question and hope for the best. 

It had all been going smoothly; maybe that was the problem. Nico arrived to Percy's place just like any other day as the two boys were greeted by the smell of Sally's infamous blue cookies. They had left for Percy's bedroom with an excuse and a final knowing wink from his mum, leaving Percy with an awkwardly warm face as he suggested the de-stressing idea.

Nico, being the sweet person he is, had taken to the idea with no hesitation and the two struck up casual conversation as easily as only many years of friendship allowed. Being the wimp Percy is, he couldn't find it in himself to bring up his feelings lest he ruin such a perfect relationship already. And so he found himself writing a simple message on every one of the strips of paper he used to make stars.

It wasn't until a week before the end of high school that Nico had asked Percy to prom. The two danced around each other, literally and metaphorically before Nico finally broke and confessed. Percy had bursted into hysterical giggles and the two had left that night feeling high on their own feelings.

The future was as uncertain as ever, but Percy found that he couldn't care less. After all, the night was still young.

* * *

 _Percy chuckled quietly as he took out a paper star. Unravelling it as carefully as possible, he ran his fingers along the barely legible words written on it:_ _'Will you be my boyfriend?'_

_He straightened the paper as delicately as possible, treating it as if it may dissolve to dust if he held it just a little too tight – and maybe it would._

_Glancing at the full jar of stars, he wondered just how many stars held the same message. Carefully putting the star back in the jar, Percy placed the jar in the cardboard box as well, right next to the stack of pictures._

_Reaching into his closet again, his let his hands roam, surprised when it came in contact with something soft. He pulled whatever it was out and- oh._

* * *

They knew each other very well.

An aviator jacket. That was what Nico got Percy for his birthday that year, and to be fair, it was a bit of a surprise. For one thing, Nico was never one to remember birthdays, and two, that jacket meant the life to him. Not to say Percy didn't, but that jacket held a special place with Nico. It is, after all, one of the few remaining things he had of his mum. Not to say Percy wasn't grateful, he was merely curious as to why Nico had decided to give that to him now of all times.

"Thank," Percy breathed out as he ran his fingers over the worn leather, smiling brightly at the other boy as he immediately put it on despite the weather.

"Yeah, happy birthday Percy," Nico replied. Maybe he took too long to answer, maybe it lacked the usual enthusiasm, or maybe it just simply sounded... wrong. Whatever it was, Percy knew something wasn't right.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, eye furrowed with worry. Nico gave him what could only be described as a forced smile, doing nothing to ease Percy's growing anxiety.

"… I'm fine Percy," Nico replied. And for the first time in ages, Percy could not think of something to say. The oppressive silence dragged on. So much so that he could almost feel it on his skin, in his lungs – suffocating him.  
"Hey Percy, I love you." Percy just barely manage to catch the words, Nico having said them barely above a whisper. And as much as it felt great to hear it, especially with such emotion behind the three simple words, he now knew for sure something is very wrong.

"Nico?" Percy asked again.  
"Nico, what's wrong?" He was scared, almost desperate now.

"I just- needed you to know that. Happy birthday." The crack was subtle, but after all the time Percy has known Nico, that small crack in his voice might as well have been a gaping hole in the sentence.

"I- Thanks," Percy replied, knowing Nico would tell him if he pushed, but also knowing he could never find it in himself to do so. And he supposes, Nico knew that too.

After all, they knew each other very well; perhaps a little too well.

* * *

_Percy clutched the jacket. He looked up to the ceiling when he felt the tell-tale sting at the back of his eyes. For a moment, he felt ghost fingers lay on his shoulder, not as comforting as it was meant to be but instead, eerie._

_Footsteps signalled another person's entry. Percy shook away the feeling of hands on his shoulder and turned to meet the other person in the eyes as they made their way over to him. They looked at the jacket still tightly held in his hands and gave a soft smile, the haunting melancholia that dominates the jacket not escaping them. They reached out and gripped Percy's hand, giving it a light squeeze._

_"Why don't you keep that one?"_

_Percy gave them a small smile before looking back at the box of old things. After a moment of hesitation, Percy nodded and shrugged on the aviator jacket._

_"You ready?" Percy looked at the hand offered his way and he let his eyes travel up until he met bright blue. He put a practiced smile on his face._

_"Of course, Mr. Sunshine"_

_Will returned the smile with one of his own, both of them giving off a lingering sense of sadness as he held out the scans._

_Osteoporosis is what it's called. Weakened bones, Sally had explained to him as if he didn't already know – it was the same thing that happened to Nico's sister a few years ago at 70. Both siblings discovered it a bit too late, and all treatment did was delay the inescapable result.  
_ _Percy shook away the memory as Will laid a comforting hand on his shoulder._

_"How're you holding up?" Percy asked the other man who simply answered with a shrug and another sad smile._

_"Better than you are," Will said in a soft teasing manner as he motioned his head to the trashcan in the corner, filled with used tissue and maybe just a few cans of beer. Percy let out a small chuckle as he nodded._

_"Fair enough."_

_"Are you ready?"_

_"…Yeah."_

_Grabbing a roll of duck tape from his table, Percy offered one end to Will. Together, they sealed it, ready to be sent to the new house. With a permanent marker, Percy wrote, perhaps more gingerly than what the situation accounted for:_

_'For Storage'_

**Author's Note:**

> To those (that one) loyal reader, sorry for being inactive. And sorry cuz I will definitely be inactive again.


End file.
